Vijay was Deputy Commissioner of remote district of Hilly Northern State of the country for the last two years. In the month of August heavy rains lashed the complete state followed by cloud burst in the upper reaches of the said district. The damage was very heavy in the complete state especially in the affected district. The complete road network and telecommunication were disrupted and the buildings were damaged extensively. People’s houses have been destroyed and they were forced to stay in open. More than 200 people have been killed and about 5000 were badly injured. The Civil Administration under Vijay got activated and started conducting rescue and relief operations. Temporary shelter camps and hospitals were established to provide shelter and medical facilities to the homeless and injured people. Helicopter services were pressed in, for evacuating sick and old people from remote areas. Vijay got a message from his hometown in Kerala that his mother was seriously sick. After two days Vijay received the unfortunate message that his mother has expired. Vijay has no close relative except one elder sister who was US citizen and staying there for last several years. In the meantime, the situation in the affected district deteriorated further due to resumption of heavy rains after a gap of five days. At the same time, continuous messages were coming on his mobile from his hometown to reach at the earliest for performing last rites of his mother.(a) What are the options available with Vijay?(b) What are the ethical dilemma being faced by Vijay?(c) Critically evaluate and examine each of these options identified by Vijay.(d) Which of the options, do you think, would be most appropriate for Vijay to adopt and why?
What the examiner wants
Vijay, DC of a flood-hit district, must choose between leading relief and going home for his mother's last rites. List options, dilemmas, evaluate each and pick one.
Demand-wise check
- 1(a) Options: leave at once; stay and skip the rites; delegate to a trusted officer and make a short trip; ask relatives or community to perform rites, join later≈50 words
- 2(b) Dilemmas: duty to public vs duty to family; personal grief vs professional responsibility; leadership example≈50 words
- 3(c) Evaluate each option on lives at stake, continuity of command and personal duty≈50 words
- 4(d) Best: stay during the critical phase or hand over to a competent officer with the government's approval; arrange rites with the sister's help or delay; perform them when the situation stabilises≈50 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Where marks usually go
- Deciding without evaluating every option
- Ignoring his personal duty entirely
Draw this
- Option table: public impact | personal duty | verdict
Value addition
- LawDisaster Management Act, 2005 makes the District Disaster Management Authority, headed by the Collector/DC, responsible for response.Disaster Management Act, 2005
- ThinkerGita: performing one's duty even in personal grief (Arjuna's dilemma).Bhagavad Gita
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 35 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 31 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 37 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 39 ↗Same syllabus reference
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